Refrigerating system



Jan. 26, 1932. e. MUFFLY I 1,842,995

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed April 3, 1926 1/ Q /5' I0 E1- 2- /2 Z M I abl'omg v Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE a I GLENN MUFFLY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COPELAND PRODUCTS, IN- CORPORATED, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN I nnrmennarme sY'srEn:

Application filed April 8, 1926. Serial No. 89,625.

In refrigerating systems and particularly "in those designed for household use it is a common practice to provide within a brine tank or surrounded by expansion coils, a chamber or chambers to accommodate one or more trays in which small cubes of ice are frozen for use in the preparation of food and drinks.

It is highl advantageous to have such m'cubes of ice rozen in the shortest possible time after water has been poured into the trays, but in existing systems this freezing periodis'too long for the convenience of the householder. Another disadvantage of existing systems is that heat (usually in the form of water) must be applied t'o'the trays to free the more or less from the tray. 1

The objects of this invention are to shorten the period required to freeze the water and facilitate the removal of ice cubes or blocksas well as to provide other conveniences and economies. These objects are attained by use of the means herein disclosed, same being applicable to a wide variety of constructions. With the above and other objects in view,

- my invention consists in the arrangement,

- combination and construction of the various parts of my improved device as described in the specification, claimed in my 'claims, and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

h The single figure is across section of a refrigerating therein, w1th the parts within the brine tank partly shown in elevation and partly in section.

I have shown a refrigerating cabinet 5 hav-.

ing' a top 6 within which is positioned a brine tank 7.- Positioned within thebrine tank 7 is an expansion chamber 8 which is provided with a double wall 9 and 10, with the space between the walls under. a partial vacuum.

A central opening'll is provided in the ex-' pansion chamber 8', the bottom of the said 'openin being formed with a plurality of tapere pockets 12 which are ada ted to receive, water. Positioned above t e, pockets 12 is a tray 13 such as is conventionally used for freezing confections.

cubical blocks of ice cabinet and brine tank located A tubing leadin from a conventional condenser (not shown% passes through the cabinet top 6 and the expansion valve 15 into the expansion chamber 8, so that the expansion chamber ma be furnished with a liquid re frigerant. plurality of'conventional coils 16 areconnected with the expansion chamber 8, said coils acting to cool the brine in the tank 7, and the pipe 17 runs from the coils 16 to a conventional compresser (not shown) .The wall 18 separating the expansion chamber 8, and the coolin chamber 11, may be provided with a plurality of fins 19 which will serve to more ra idly take heat from the chamber 11 to be dissipatedby'the'refrigerant in the chamber 8. It will thus be seen that because of the tapered formation of the pockets 12, the expansion of the water as it freezes will result in the'ice. cubes or lumps rising from the bottom of the pockets so that they may be picked out as desired.

It will further be noted that the employment of a tank of brine around the expansion chamber will act as an insulation for the expansion chamber to revent the rapid entry ofheat to the expanslon chamber from the refrigerating cabinet, and will permit of absorption of heat from the water much more rapidly, with the final result that the ice will be frozen with considerable more rapidity.

The employment of the vacuum space between the walls 9 and 10 further acts to. in-

vious, of course, that additional water tra may be introduced in the openingll instead of the tray 13, and that ample space for they removal of ice cubes from the pockets 12 is providedin the height of the space 11.

'sulate the-,- expansion chamber against the.-

It wil l ,be obvious that various changes may be made in the arran ment, combination and construction of t e varlous parts of my imprgyed device without de arting' from the spirit of my invention, and 1t is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as may befreasonably included within the scope thereof. I

What I claim is:

. 1. In a refrigeratin system, a receptacle for direct water to be rozen, an evaporating chamber at least partially surrounding the receptacle, said receptacle forming a wall of said chamber, means for supplying liquid refrigerant to said chamber and means for insulating said evaporating chamber from a source of heat external thereto.

2. In a refrigerating system, an expansion chamber provided with. a fixed receptacle having pockets for the direct reception of water therein, said chamber having an open space therein above said pockets, and means permitting the interposing of a movablereceptacle in said open space.

3. In a refrigerating system, a member provided with hollow walls the interior of which are under a partial vacuum, a receptacle within said member, means closing the space between saidreceptacle and said member whereby to form an expansion chamber therebetween, and means for introducing refrigerant between said receptacle and said member, the bottom walls of said receptacle being formed to provide water pockets.

4. In a refrigerating system, a member provided with hollow walls the interior of which are under a partial vacuum, a receptacle within said member, means closing the space between said receptacle and said member whereby to form an expansion chamber therebetween, and means for introducing-refrigerant between said receptacle and said member, the bottom walls of said receptacle formed to provide water pockets in direct contact with refrigerant in said expansion chamber and having widely divergent side and end walls.

5. In a refrigerating system, in combination, three receptacles in nested relation, the space between the inner and intermediate receptacle being sealed and the space between the intermediate and outer receptacle being sealed, means permitting access to said inner of said receptacles, and a refrigerantinlet and outlet for the first mentioned space, the second mentioned space being maintained under partial vacuum.

6. In a refrigerating system, in combination, three receptacles in nested relation, the space between the inner and intermediate receptacle being sealed and the space between the intermedlate and outer receptacle being sealed, means permitting access to said inner of said receptacles, and a refrigerant inlet and outlet for the first mentioned space, the second mentioned space being maintained under partial vacuum, and the bottom of said inner receptacle formed for direct reception of water to be frozen.

7. In a refrigerating system," in combination, a chamber to be refrigerated, a brine tank therein, a second chamber within said brineitank, an ice receptacle in said second chamber, and a refri erant circuit leading first into said second 0 amber and then into said brine tank.

8. In a refrigerating system, in combination, a chamber to be refrigerated, an insulated chamber within said chamber, an ice receptacle within said insulated chamber, and

a a refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant in said circuit being first fed into direct contact with said receptacle, and then being passed out of said insulated chamber into the first mentioned chamber.

9. In a refrigerating system, in combination, an insulated chamber, a brine tank therein, a freezing chamber within said brine tank, and a refrigerant circuit extending first into unbroken metallic conductivity with said freezing chamber and then continuing through the brine in said brine tank.

10. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet, a cooling unit therein comprising an inner chamber for receiving articles to be frozen, an outer closed chamber surrounding the inner chamber and adapted to contain a liquid, an intermediate evaporator chamber adapted to contain a refrigerant, an exterior insulation for said evaporator chamber and means for circulating the refrigerant through said evaporator chamber.

11. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment to be refrigerated, a receptacle in said compartment containing a heat conducting liquid, a second receptacle in said compartment for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means cooperating with said, second receptacle for freezing articles therein, means for insulating the evaporator means and second receptacle from the compartment space, and auxiliary evaporator means in the first receptacle and in thermal contact with the liquid therein for cooling the latter and hence the compartment.

12. In. a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment to be refrigerated, a receptacle in said compartment containing a heat conducting liquid, a second receptacle in said compartment for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means cooperating with said second receptacle for freezing articles therein, means for insulating the evaporator means and second receptacle from the compartment space, and auxiliary evaporator means in the first receptacle and in thermal contact with the liquid therein for cooling the latter and hence the compartment, said auxiliary evaporator being connected to the discharge end of the first evaporator means.

13. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in said compartment containing a heat conducting liquid, a second receptacle in the first receptacle for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator meanscooperating with the second receptacle for freezing articles therein, means for insulating the second receptacle from the liquid to limit heat transmission from the latter thereto, evaporator means connected to the first evaporator means and extending through the liquid for cooling the latter.

14. in a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in the compartment and containing heat conducting medium for cooling the compartment, a second receptacle for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means for said second receptacle for freezing articles therein, and evaporator means in the first receptacle for maintaining the medium therein at a higher temperature than the temperature in the second receptacle. i 15. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in the compartment and containing heat conducting medium for cooling the compartment, a second receptacle for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means for said second receptacle for freezing articles therein, and evaporator means in the first receptacle for maintaining the medium therein at a higher temperature than the temperature in the second receptacle, said evaporator means in the first receptacle being connected to the discharge end of the other evaporator means. 16. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in said compartment and containing a heat conducting medium, a second receptacle in the first receptacle for receiving articles to be frozen,- evaporator means for the second receptacle for freezing articles therein, means for insulating the second receptacle and evaporator means from the medium in the first recep tacle, and evaporator means connected to the discharge end of the first evaporator means and extending into the medium in the first receptacle for cooling said medium and hence the compartment,

17 In a refrigera ing system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in said compartment for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means for said receptacle for freezing articles therein, means for insulat ing the receptacle and evaporator means from the compartment space, a second receptacle in the compartment and containing a heat conducting medium, and evaporator means in said second receptacle for cooling the .me'-'.

dium and hence the compartment.

18. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in said compartment for receiving articles to be frozen, evaporator means for said receptacle for freezing articles ther'eln, means for insulat- 20. In a refrigerating system, a cabinet having a compartment, a receptacle in said compartment forreceivmg articles to be froz- \en, evaporator means for said receptacle for :treezmg artlcles therein, means for insulating the receptacle and evaporatormeans from the compartment space, a second receptacle in the compartment and containing a heat conducting medium, and evaporator means in said second receptacle for cooling the medium and hencev the compartment, said second evaporator'means being located in the second receptacle, and the second evaporator means being connected to the first evaporator means.

' 21. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet, a cooling unit therein comprising a plurality of receptacles'nested one within the other, adjacent receptacles being spaced from each other to form chambers surrounding the inner receptacle, means for supplying refrigerant to oneof said chambers, the next adj acent chamber surrounding the last mentioned chamber serving as a heat transfer insulation therefor, and liquid in the chamber next to GLENN MUFFLY,

ing the receptacle and evaporator means from the compartment space, a second receptacle in the compartment and containing a heat conducting medium, and evaporator means in said second receptacle for cooling the medium and hence the compartment, said second re- 

